books.google.com - William has just received the best present of his life. It's an old, real-looking stone and wooden model of a castle, with a drawbridge, moat, and a finger-high knight to guard the gates. It's the mysterious castle his housekeeper has told him about, and even though William is sad she's leaving, now...http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Castle_in_the_Attic.html?id=mO1CfUHj2FcC&utm_source=gb-gplus-shareThe Castle in the Attic

The Castle in the Attic

William has just received the best present of his life. It's an old, real-looking stone and wooden model of a castle, with a drawbridge, moat, and a finger-high knight to guard the gates. It's the mysterious castle his housekeeper has told him about, and even though William is sad she's leaving, now the castle is his!

William can't wait to play with it--he's certain there's something magical about the castle. And sure enough, when he picks up the tiny silver knight, it comes alive in his hand!

Sir Simon tells William a mighty story of wild sorcery, wizards, and magic. And suddenly William is off on a fantastic quest to another land and another time--where a fiery dragon and an evil wizard are waiting to do battle . . . .

User ratings

Review: The Castle in the Attic (The Castle in the Attic #1)

... An enjoyable read with a good plot and values. I enjoyed it and am now reading it to my sister and brother. They are enjoying it as well. Great for anyone ... Read full review

The ending is a little clunky, but a fun. - Goodreads

Review: The Castle in the Attic (The Castle in the Attic #1)

Kelly - September 12, 2008 - Goodreads

... Good kids with magic and knights and a castle. The ending is a little clunky, but a fun. ... Read full review

My introduction to fantasy. - Goodreads

Review: The Castle in the Attic (The Castle in the Attic #1)

Insidious - May 16, 2012 - Goodreads

... Found this book in my basement when I was a kid, and absolutely loved it. I must've read it a dozen times. My introduction to fantasy. ... Read full review

Kind of the same premise as Indian in the Cupboard. - Goodreads

Review: The Castle in the Attic (The Castle in the Attic #1)

Darcie Smith - September 18, 2007 - Goodreads

... Great book for kids. Kind of the same premise as Indian in the Cupboard. I passed it down to my cousin who became obsessed with it and read it over and over. ... Read full review

Review: The Castle in the Attic (The Castle in the Attic #1)

User Review - Kari - Goodreads

The story of a 10-year-old who is gifted a toy castle with a lead knight, and when the boy picks up the knight it comes to life. The boy ends up being shrunk by the knight and the two go on an ...Read full review

About the author (1985)

Author Elizabeth Winthrop grew up in Washington, D. C., and has written over 50 works of fiction for all ages. She has won numerous awards including the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, the Pen Syndicated Fiction Award, the California Young Readers Medal and the Jane Addams Peace Prize Honor Book. Many of her children's books are based on her childhood memories and the experiences of her children and other children she has talked to. Her book Belinda's Hurricane is based on the time she lived through a hurricane with her grandmother on an island off the coast of Connecticut. I Think He Likes Me is based on her daughter's reaction to her younger brother when he was brought home from the hospital. Her most popular books are The Castle in the Attic and The Battle for the Castle.

Trina Schart Hyman's Saint George and the Dragon was honored with a Caldecott Medal. She lives in Lyme, New Hampshire. In Her Own Words...

"I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1939. I spent my growing-up years in the little town of Wyncote, which was just north of the city. Our house was across the road from a lovely and mysterious old farm, so I grew up with horses and cows and geese and chickens, along with hay and manure and all the smells and sounds of farming. In those days there were woods and fields all around our house. We lived in the couritry, but we were only an hour away from the city. Both places seemed exciting and dangerous to me, and full of romance and magic.

"Romance and magic were very important to me. Fairy tales, folktales, and myths were--and still are--my favorite things. I loved to read and draw pictures more than anything, but I hated school and was miserable there. I couldn't concentrate, and I always felt like a dummy, because I didn't understand the rules that everyone else seemed to know. I have to admit that I still feel that way sometimes. I did manage to graduate from high school, though, and then I went to an art school in Philadelphia instead of college. It was so much fun that I actually learned a lot.

"It was there that I found out about the great book illustrators of the early 1900s: Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, and the crazy Pre-Raphaelites in England; and Howard Pyle, N. C. Wyeth, and the serious students of the Brandywine School here in American. Their romantic and magical storytelling pictures inspired me and gave me courage. I was determined to follow in the footsteps of these artists and to carry on their tradition.

"In 1959 I got married and left Philadelphia. I spent the next few years traveling and attending art schools in Boston and in Stockholm, Sweden. I learned about book design and printmiaking, and how to cook and do laundry. in Sweden I learned about the artists Carl Larsson, Jon Bauer, and Sulamith Wulfing, Whose work inspired and influenced me.

"In 1961 I 'Illustrated my very first children's book, for a Swedish publisher. The editor who gave me the job was Astrid Lindgren, the author of the Pippi Longstocking books. Since then, I have illustrated about 150 books, give or take a few. I've tried to make each and every book special and beautiful. I've put a lot of myself my beliefs and interests, my friends and family and the places I've been -- into my pictures. All of the connections that I've figured out in my life are there for everyone to see, in all of my books.

"For the past thirty years I've lived in a big old farmhouse in northwestern New Hampshire. Some part of it always needs fixing -- there's always a room falling off or a roof caving in -- but to me it is home. Mostly there are walls and walls of books that hold it up and keep out the cold. I live here with my partner, jean, who helps me keep it all going, and our two dogs, two cats, and five sheep. jean is a teacher and the director of a little school where kids actually have fun learning.

"My daughter, Katrin, and her husband, Eugene, and their two sons, Michou and Xavi, live in a house that is only a few miles away, over the river and through the woods of Vermont. Michou goes to Jean's school. We are a close family, and we have a lot of fun together. That's it so far.